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Transformational educational leaders are not a dime a dozen. Midlanders know that all too well.

That’s why it is a tough week as two education leaders -- Midland ISD interim Superintendent Rod Schroder and University of Texas of the Permian Basin President David Watts -- say good-bye.

In different ways, this educational odd couple changed the landscapes of their respective organizations.

Watts is tall. His presence in the room can’t be ignored. Schroder isn’t exactly diminutive, but more every man. And while he doesn’t seek to blend in, you can forget he’s there.

Watts made his mark in Midland-Odessa over 16 years. Schroder leaves after 10 months.

One was a constant in higher ed in the region; the other a reform-minded mercenary.

They are proof that transformation isn’t one-size-fits-all. It can arrive in all shapes and sizes.

Still, both men leave their positions -- one permanent and the other interim -- having made Midland a better place because they were here.

Watts enjoyed his last day at UTPB with the pomp and circumstance expected of a person who oversaw an attendance boom, a facilities upgrade and the elevation of an athletics department to the Division II level.

While I appreciate the idea of bringing football to UTPB, Watts’ greatest impact in my mind will be on two fronts.

The first was pretty obvious as the university with a commuter-school reputation went through a renaissance, spurred on by academic enhancements. The obvious example here is the development of the engineering school, which now hosts one of every 10 UTPB students. That makes sense for a school with a curriculum that matches the workforce needed in our region.

The second was building a connection to Midland. The Midland campus has the signature pieces of the university -- the Center for Energy and Economic Diversification, the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center and the yet-to-be engineering building. That is appropriate, in my opinion, as Midland can’t be what it needs to be without a better UTPB, and UTPB can’t be what it needs to be without Midland. Watts and state Rep. Tom Craddick got this point. And after 16 years, I can’t imagine that relationship being on better footing.

As for Schroder. I still remember a first conversation with the former Amarillo ISD superintendent. I said some version of “you realize what you are getting into.”

He said yes.

This outsider didn’t have to worry about being overwhelmed by MISD’s number of improvement required schools, a poor state ranking based on test scores, turnover in new board members or, in his words, a district that was too top-down in its structure.

Schroder brought with him a record of achievement as a reform leader, data to better explain Midland ISD’s position to comparable districts and a three-part plan. He also wasn’t going to leave until he drilled those three parts into the collective brain of Midland ISD’s leaders.

They are:

- have a growth mindset for MISD students;

- have a no-excuses philosophy;

- fidelity in its instructional process, specifically the professional learning communities (PLCs) that he believes will make the weak campuses better and the better campuses even stronger.

In less than a year, Midland ISD has a governance plan, a second year of PLC implementation and a clearer picture of what the future should look like. In no way did Schroder completely reverse the decade-long spiral that preceded his arrival, but the arrow is pointed up, and there is the right type of anticipation -- and not dread -- of the next round of Texas Education Agency scores.

He has left the district in better shape than he found it and has set the table for incoming Superintendent Orlando Riddick and MISD to better accomplish its mission: “All students will graduate prepared and ready for college or career.”

Twelve months ago, if you had told someone that type of progress was possible, they wouldn’t have believed you. There was no reason to. However, one year later, there should be optimism about what can take place in Midland’s public schools. Schroder has provided the Midland ISD board and the community with the foundation for what is possible. It is now in our hands to fulfill that promise.